


I’ve Never Met A Dare I Couldn’t Conquer

by theshipstorulethemallwrites



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, First Kiss, Las Vegas Wedding, Legally Blonde, M/M, Miscommunication, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-02
Updated: 2018-11-02
Packaged: 2019-08-11 01:43:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16466303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theshipstorulethemallwrites/pseuds/theshipstorulethemallwrites
Summary: Look, Auston wants a lot of things. He wants to lift the cup, he wants the C stitched over his heart, but mostly he wants Willy....Willy on his wing, Willy by his side and in the best case scenario Willy in his bed





	I’ve Never Met A Dare I Couldn’t Conquer

**Author's Note:**

  * For [stromer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/stromer/gifts).



> this fic was a labor of love and the fact that it's so long is still a surprise to me. I owe this to the fact that the contract situation gave me a perfect excuse to write angst and the quotes about Auston needing Willy. Also the interview where Auston revealed he watches Rom-Coms - that was so key to getting the plot down. 
> 
> this fic would not be nearly the story that is without Shan, Phoebe and N - thank you for the beta and the feedback and listening to me sort out plots. Special shoutout to N who was willing to beta without knowing anything about hockey or these two idiots. 
> 
> also here's the playlist I used while writing. The songs are in order and correspond to the scenes in the fic so feel free to hit play before reading.

Sometimes the things Auston wants come to happen in a flash, a dream, one where he’ll bend reality to his will, but other times, rarer times, they come slowly, they creep up on him and he can’t tell where the dream first appeared and the desire become a thing he could touch. The second one, that’s how he feels about Willy. And he knows now, he knows that he wants the blond by his side always and he’s not fucking here. He’s back in Sweden, surrounded by absolutely beautiful people, and Auston is set up to play the fucking game without him. A preseason game, a prelude to what’s to come. He can’t just go in Dubas’s office and tell him that he’ll take the cut, to give Willy whatever he wants, even if it means that he’s going to make 2 million a year. The city would riot, his agent would actually murder him and his mom would tell him to propose. Having to tell his mom that no he can’t actually propose because he and Willy are not together yet, that would suck worse than losing game 7 did. No matter how much he wants to, nothing that he says matters until Willy is back. On his wing, where he belongs.

It’s his damn 21st and he’s been able to drink in this town since he got here but there’s something different about being able to go home and being able to drink. It’s more comfortable, less pressure with the forbiddenness of it wiped away.

But he keeps looking for blond hair and slick hands, he keeps his ears open for a Swedish accent tinged with DC twang, he keeps shaking away back slaps and ass pats. He knows that he should be happy, that they’ve been winning like crazy but the longer this goes on, the more twisted his heart feels.

He wants the management to realize that they need Willy, that he needs Willy. Yes, JT gives them an edge but all he’s doing is getting them furthur at a faster rate than was expected. JT is a bonus, Willy….

For Auston, Willy’s a _necessity_ , like air or water.

Oh, shit.

Auston knows that he’s reached his melancholy phase of still thoughtful drunkenness and that means he’s going to start thinking about Chucky and what could have been, which means if he lets himself linger here he will go on a rant about hockey and the NHL and homophobia and the innate unfairness of the fact that in order to get what he knows he loves he has to give up on something he could love. No one, other than his sisters and rarely Jor, wants to hear this, especially not now. Now, when it’s his birthday. Now, when the team is on the cusp of starting a legend. No one wants to hear the ways Auston’s been disillusioned. Not even him.

He goes to find Naz and basically orders the older center to give him several rounds of shots, shots that are mainly for the team but he ends up having a third-ish of them. He already knows that the last thing he’ll remember clearly is wanting Willy but he knows that he’ll get flashes. Flashes of Mitch curled around him, laughing at Patty, flashes of Mo and Gards dancing to some old 2000s hit blaring on the dance floor, flashes of Brownie and Kappy buying drinks for two girls at the bar, flashes of Naz and John, sitting in the booth, Naz gesturing at him urgently. He remembers calling someone, whining about something really but most of the night is blissfully blank.

Auston wakes up the next morning with his head pounding and a voicemail that he missed in his notifications when he goes to check the time. He flips it and sees one missed call from Willy Ny blinking at him. He scrolls down, to see at 1:29am this morning, an outgoing call to Willy. Oh fuck, what did he say?

He doesn’t want to be in his room for this, doesn’t want to be in his bed for this. So Auston, comforter wrapped around his bare shoulders like a cape, wanders into the kitchen. He sits at the breakfast nook, drowns a bottle of gatorade and presses play on his doom. Yes, he’s being dramatic. He’s pretty sure he’s still drunk, sue him.

Willy’s voice fills his room and his heart aches. It’s been too damn long.

“Hey Matty, happy birthday bud. I, uh, got your message. You sounded pretty drunk but you also sounded really fucking serious.” Willy’s voice goes quiet here and Auston strains a little closer to the phone to hear him. There’s a breath from both of them, Auston in Toronto in the morning, Willy sometime ago in Sweden, even in this they are in sync. “You, uh, you said you, uh, are in love with me.”

Oh Jesus Christ, Auston wants to curl up in a ball and die. Shit, Willy was never supposed to hear this, not ever. God, this could ruin everything. He knows he’s missing some of what Willy’s saying and by the time he turns back to the phone, figures out a way to process words and not just panic, Willy is saying, sounding fond for some reason, “We’ll talk when I come back Aus. Drink some water, I can’t have my center dying on me.”

Auston laughs, relieved and terrified in equal measure. He still wants to go break his diet and eat an entire pint of cookie dough ice cream but Willy called him “his” and that says that the relationship isn’t completely ruined, even if it’s pretty clear that Willy doesn’t feel the same. He deletes the message though, one of the very few birthday messages he hasn’t saved somehow. There’s no way he wants to listen to that again, but he knows the temptation of hearing Willy’s voice is a lot. So for his own sanity and safety, he deletes the message. Almost immediately he regrets it but he can’t go back and change the past. He’s not the Doctor.

 .....….

 

They touch down in Dallas, the start of long road swing, and still Auston doesn’t have Willy on his wing. He has Kappy, though, and fuck, that’s worse than playing with Ennis. Ennis was always temporary, he’s a good guy but they never really clicked. With Kappy, they’re clicking. It’s pretty clear that they’re clicking considering that last game he and Kappy each scored off of a pass from each other within 4 minutes of getting put together. He turns back on his signal and like every other time he lingers on his text thread with Willy, a text from the night before saying:

Willy: _congrats on 1st star, bud. *three fire emojis*_

He wants to ask when Willy is coming back, to ask why he hasn’t signed yet. He hears rustling around him and sees Patty, looking down at him, concerned.

“What’s up Dad?” Auston jokes, shuffling out his seat, hoodie pulled low over his head.

“I know I’m not your actual father but Matts, the team is worried about you.”

“I’m killing it. Seriously, I just won first star of the entire league, I’m the team goal leader. Patty, I’m good.”

He’s putting on a good face and maybe Patty can tell that some of it is faked because the frown gets deeper.

“Yeah, we all know the hockey’s good but you, personally, Matty, we’ve all seen your movie selection recently.”

“I like rom-coms, Mitch watches Disney movies, of the two of us I should not be getting called out for my taste. Your kid literally benefitted from the fact that I watch rom-coms, do not take that lightly.”

“Matts, Freddie told me that you’ve been taking notes while you watch them. Look if you need help.....”

Patty trails off, raising an eyebrow encouragingly but all Auston feels is slightly humiliated and mainly pissed. That unpleasant emotional concoction is basically what he’s been feeling everytime he thinks about the whole Willy thing. But that doesn’t mean he likes it.

“I’m fine alright. Just leave me alone.”

“Ok bud, just, we’re here for you if you need us.”

Auston nods, shoving his headphones in his backpack and starts to leave the plane. He hears Patty texting, probably the rest of the As and Auston knows he’s going to get worried looks, knows he’s going to be ambushed into playing Fortnite when they get to the hotel after they win. Yeah, the Stars are good but they’re better in terms of spread out scoring.

It’s warmups, he’s taking his place on the line to take shots at Freddie and his heart isn’t been good about letting the Willy thing go. He wishes he were closer with either Seguin or Benn, considering that Seguin signed an 8 year pact days before the season started where he named Benn as a big part of him deciding to stay instead of leaving like Tavares did. Everyone knows that Seguin left money on the table. But what he wants to know is how Benn felt, was he sure that Seguin was going to re-sign because for Auston, the more the team wins, the more he plays without Willy, the more sure he is that he needs him but the certainty that Willy will sign, well, that’s fading a little bit with every passing game.

He almost wants them to lose one of the next 3 games, be able to point to it and go, “see we need him”. And it has to be a we, it can’t just be an I, that’s not how hockey works. As much as it’s been fun to do the photoshoots, to mouth off to the press, to alternate between victorious triumph and stoicism in his goal celebrations, well he still knows that demanding a player get re-signed just so his heart can go back to figuring out how not to rip itself apart every minute he’s not on the ice, is just not done.

Still, he knows that if the cameras were to sweep over the bench as Benn pulls Seguin into a hug that’s simply theirs before the rest of the Stars crash into it, they’d see the longing and jealousy in his eyes. No one on the team notices the way his fists are clenched, the way his grin is slightly, just slightly, faked, at least he doesn’t think they do. They win the game, 7-4.  

He knows that he should be thrilled with how well the season’s going but he keeps thinking back to that voicemail he erased, the awe and shock in Willy’s voice over the phone. Keeps thinking about how the pundits are going to use these leads, this success, as a way to say that the team should trade Willy for a better defenseman. He really really tries to push away the thought that keeps crossing his mind when he reads the articles, that if that happened he’d walk, he’d leave the city that he wants to be memorialized in. He doesn’t want to think about what that means, what that says about how deep he’s fallen. But the longer they keep this up, the more the higher ups will start considering it and he knows that even if what he and Kappy have is pale imitation of him and Willy, Willy will have to earn his spot back and it fucking sucks. That the first time they get to share the ice together in _months_ , they might not even get to be lineys.

They win against the Red Wings and Auston has 9 goals in 5 games. Auston is tied with Mo for league leading point getter. Auston is playing fucking amazing hockey. He’s enjoying himself, he is, but that doesn’t mean the ache stops.

It’s even aching on the ice now. The one place he believed he’d be safe from these fucking _feelings_. This absolute undeniable longing for the one person who is a million miles away.

He sees the instagram videos of Willy practicing, wearing Leafs blue and Auston almost smashes the screen of his phone he clutches it so hard. It’s a visceral sort of longing that hits him in the middle of the locker room as the boys are talking about how Willy’s declaring his loyalty and Auston knows he is but all he can think about the last time he saw Willy wearing the uniform in person.

The last time he saw him wearing the away uniform that he’s wearing in the video was their last game, the game in Boston and it was 48 hours after Auston had forced to Willy to come over to his place in a fit of recklessness, high on the win, high on hope. They’d watched the second Captain America movie cause it’s one of the fews movie that they can agree on and they feel like they can cuddle while watching it. It’s genuinely one of Auston’s favorite movies on a normal day but watching it Willy pushes it up to top 10. In that moment, high off the win, brownies from the bakery down the street on the table, Willy’s legs curled on top of his, it makes top 3. And they’d ended up kissing, a brief thing, nowhere near enough to satisfy Auston’s want but it had felt like a promise, like this was the beginning of them.

They pulled back and immediately flipped the movie back on, the sound of fighting filling the room where seconds before the only sound had been the heavy breathing and the loudness of Auston’s heartbeat. He had found  that he kept biting his lip, kept looking at Willy and wanting something so much that when Steve says “then do it, because I’m with you till the end of the line,” a dam in his heart had started breaking. Auston knows that he let out a brief “oh” and Willy looked at him and Auston hadn’t wanted to read into it, the soft smile on Willy’s face, the way his hand squeezes Auston’s thigh under the blanket. The quiet intimacy of it, Auston had believed they were going to win, not just the series, but each other.  

Then the one time he’d brought it up, they’d been facetiming - Auston under the stars in Arizona, Willy in the sunshine in Sweden - Willy had shut it down pretty quickly. Not, shut them down, or the possibly of them, but talking about it. Just like everything else that Auston wants to say, that’s bubbling up inside of him so much that it feels like his desires are a volcano about to erupt, Willy wants to do in person. Wants to be able to sit and talk and really see each other and not just end up overanalyzing and missing out. Auston had been fine with that when he thought Willy was coming back and they’d see each other at training camp and they’d have time but now it almost feels like they’ve been talking around it for too long. The facetimes have been briefer as the season started and Auston keeps looking at Willy and seeing a present and a future that he wants but unlike 5 months ago, he’s not sure Willy wants the same thing and that makes seeing him, even if it’s over a screen, gut wrenching. He’s ended up taking to just doing audio calls because seeing Willy’s face makes his heart leap up to his throat.

It’s pathetic, so so pathetic that he ends up back in the hotel room in DC, video of Willy skating hooked up the tv and muted and his hand shoved down his boxers that he couldn’t bother to fling off with the rest of his stuff. He cums with Willy’s name on his lips, but he muffles it by flipping around, shoving his face into the pillow and ending up with a wet spot in the middle of the comforter. Fucking hell, he’s done for. He quickly goes to shower, and is in a hoodie and boxers, pulling a blanket over the stained spot as there’s a knock on his door. He opens it up to see Mitchy and Freddie standing there. It’s nearly 10pm, which is normally the start of quiet hours but Babs is giving them tomorrow off because how well they’ve been playing, also how much they’ve been playing. They’ve played 5 games and four teams have only played 2, Auston chalks it up to early season weirdness but it’s still odd.

“Were you going to sleep because the team’s playing COD downstairs and we need you to come and bond but if you were going to sleep you can do that too,” Mitch says in a rush, and Auston laughs, fondness for his teammates swelling up in him and Freddie just raises an eyebrow at the mess of the room and the way his phone is connected to the tv.

“I’ll come with you guys;” he says, and it’s clearly the right thing to say because the smiles on both of the guys faces grow wider and Mitch fistpumps.

“Finally man, you’ve become a hermit other than games or practices,” Freddie comments as they get in the elevator. Auston chuckles because he doesn’t know how to explain that he did something a few weeks ago and Willy still isn’t here and that his mind is fluctuating between the best and worst case scenarios with the quickness of Mitch’s footwork.

He walks into the large common area that the team’s claimed as their own and the cheers when the others see that’s him confirms that he has been noticeably pulling away these past few weeks even as they win.

“Matts, come sit here.” JT calls, gesturing to the space between him and Patty and Auston fakes a sigh.

“Do you guys think I need parenting or something?” Auston jokes but the look shared between Patty and JT says clearly that yes, they do.

“Is it a girl Matty?” Patty asks, and Auston instivinctly frowns because wow even Patty, who literally played in San Jose, is so naturally heteronormative. His sisters like to make sure he knows the words to describe the stuff that he’s feeling. Patty and JT exchange a look over Auston’s head, he’s almost taller than both of them but he’s slouched on the couch with his hands fidgeting in his lap so he feels very very much like a kid again.

“Look it’s cool if it’s not but you’ve been pulling away and if you want help wooing someone, we’re both successfully and happily married to women who are way out of our league.” JT adds. Auston can’t help laughing at that, a small part of him bitter but mainly he’s just glad to be with the guys again.

“Can we not talk about my romantic troubles? I just want to kick ass in COD.” He replies, and Hyms who’s been listening in on the conversation from JT’s other side tosses him a controller while saying, “Thank god, you finally admit that something’s up.”

This team is a bunch of nosey assholes and their help is not helpful because they try to get him to focus on hockey. When that doesn’t work they start talking about what they’re going to do on their off day tomorrow - Mitch wants to take scooters around the city and Auston finds himself volunteering to tag along. But even in this, these moments with the team he finds himself wishing Willy was here, finds himself missing his winger.  He pulls out his phone just as Zach launches himself at Kappy to wrestle for the bag of popcorn that Kappy had stolen away and he snaps a picture and sends it to Willy with caption:

Me: _current and former lineys are fighting *frowny face emoji*_

He’s not expecting a response and he puts his phone in his pocket, focuses on the game and tries not to think about Willy.

When he wakes up the morning he checks his notifications, responds to the group chat with his sisters and ignores that’s there’s a response from Willy. Right now, today is about the team. He’s going to go out in the cold on scooters and they’re going to have an awesome time.

He ends up texting his sisters at lunch, asking if he should go to a movie with the team or watch a movie in his room. They don’t know exactly everything but they know enough to tell him to watch a movie in his room. Apparently he’s really down.

A Sis: _bro just watch legally blonde. #ElleWoods4life_

B Sis: _^^^^^ *thumbs up emoji*_

B Sis: _maybe it will give you ideas on how to get Willy back_

Me: _hahahahahaha. No._

As the team stands up, after Mo pays for lunch, Auston catches Mitch by the arm.

“Marns, I think I’m going to head back to the hotel.”

“You sure, bud?”

Auston nods, thinking about how badly he’s been sleeping lately, the way he’s been waking up at 4am and not being able to go back to sleep for over an hour. He needs to nap, needs to figure out how to start contemplating the idea that Willy might not be back, he needs to distract himself and watching Legally Blonde and eating popcorn in a comfy hotel bed sounds like some sort of distraction.

When he’s in the elevator, going up the fifteenth floor, he pulls out his phone and checks his text thread with Willy. He was right that his last text did get response, or actually it looks like it got 2. They’ve been talking less than he’s used to. Even in the summer they kept their

snapchat streak and texted about inane things. But now, now as the season’s contines, the streak that had almost been at 600 days had ended. And it had hurt to check snapchat and see that like everything else they were back to square one.

Willy: _theyere not fighting ove r much. most of you is m i ne_

Willy: _sorry, was drunk_

And Auston, fuck, he can’t process this right now. Willy laying claim to him, Willy acknowledging that there’s something there even if he was drunk. He stumbles out of the elevator, almost walks into the man that’s getting out of a hotel room. He prays that he didn’t get recognized, he knows he’s flushing and looking a little wild around the eyes. Thankfully, he doesn’t see anyone else in his short walk down the hall to his room. The fact that he doesn’t have a roommate is truly saving his ass today because he feels too big for the room as he stumbles around, flopping down on the bed spread and groaning as he flings off his shoes. He hears the thud of one of them smacking against the drawers but he couldn’t give less of a shit.

He lays there for a couple of minutes, replaying the text message in his head, replaying the last time they had facetimed and ugh, even for him, this is getting ridiculous.

Right, Legally Blonde.

He sits up, pulls the head of the hoodie over his hair and lets it nearly cover his eyes, and stretches out to grab his laptop. He goes to iTunes quickly enough and sits up a little straighter when he realizes with shock that he doesn’t actually own the movie. How? Why?

He distinctly remembers owning it and then realizes that he’s thinking of his giant dvd collection back in his condo that’s in 3 massive cd cases and that he didn’t transfer most of the movies onto his laptop or download a digital copy. Auston is an idiot. It’s super annoying to have to rent a movie that he already owns. Yes, he has the money to buy a million copies but it’s the principle of the thing. Also he only needs to be watch this for 48 hours so renting is fine. That works, he doesn’t need the extended features, he just needs to watch Elle Woods be a badass and remind himself that he doesn’t actually need Willy.

He digs around in his bag as the movie downloads and finds his box of sour patch kids that he keeps for emergencies. Preventing a total emotional breakdown over his feelings for his missing winger absolutely fucking counts.

Auston hits play, settles back against the pillows and plops a red sour patch in his mouth. The sweetness explodes on his tongue just as the Delta Nu girls are signing the card and by the time Elle is reading it the sour is coating the back of his mouth. It’s appropriate, he thinks, eyes thinning into an angry stare as Warner Asshole Huntington the Third appears on the screen. What a douche this guy is.

He watches the movie, leaning forward a bit when Elle decides to go to Harvard Law, not for a visit, but actually attend the school, to chase after a boy who doesn’t deserve her. He continues watching, saving the yellow sour patch kids for the end, for the final court scene where Elle shows the world just how valuable she is.

And that’s it, as the credits roll, all Auston can think about is how showing the world, or at least Dubas, how valuable Willy is to him. That’s what he has to do to get him by the time they play their second home game. He can’t go bursting in to his GM’s office the day of a game and say that exactly. What exactly can he say to convince him of how valuable Willy is that Willy and his agents haven’t already tried?

He shuts his computer, scrolls through his instagram and likes a couple of photos that Eichs has posted on his private of him and Hanny. He frowns, thinking about how much he wants that, wants what they have. Suddenly looking at a photo of Eichs on a beach, head in Hanny’s lap, it hits him.

Elle Woods had to go to Harvard Law School to learn her value and well, what’s the hockey equivalent of getting a 179 on an incredibly hard test, sending in a video interview and missing out the things that you once valued?

Taking less money? No.

Refusing to play? Too far.

 _Wait_.

Demanding a trade.

Oh, god. If this doesn’t work…

Nope, do not think about that. Do not consider the possibility of it not working, of Willy not wanting you not back.

He grabs his phone, opens up the group chat with his sisters and takes a deep breath before hitting send.

Me: _So Bren was right about Legally Blonde giving me ideas. I’m about to do something crazy when I get back to Toronto._

A Sis: _oh god Aus_

B Sis: _i hate that i can’t even be happy that you said i’m right just be careful_

Me: _careful went out the window a long time ago at least when it comes to willy_

A Sis: _we’ll be here *blue and white hearts emojis*_

B Sis: _love you bro_

He sighs, echoing in the empty room and wanders down to the common room to find that the boys have returned from their movie.

“How was the nap Matts?” Gards asks, throwing an arm around Auston’s shoulders and Auston just shrugs. He doesn’t want to come out and say good, because like he didn’t actually nap and none of them are Willy in terms of how good they are at reading the minuscule changes in his face but Marns and Mo both can catch him in a lie real quick.

“We are going to win tomorrow,” is all he says, turning to Kappy and saying, “we keeping the streak going?”

“This about making Willy jealous?” Kappy mutters under his breath and Auston’s face does a number of complicated facial expressions at once finally settling on just raising an eyebrow at his current winger.

“I mean, hell yes, we are.”

Auston nods, settling down on the couch and leaning into Hyms. Hyms looks down at him, ruffles his hair and chuckles.

“You know we all miss him too right Matty?” he whispers, and Auston nods. It’s not worth arguing with Hyms about this, not when he has to figure out how to convince a GM that he’s serious about demanding a trade from a potential dynasty and still play two hockey games.

They win against the defending Stanley Cup Champions and Auston scores on the power play, again. Auston ends the night with the 2 points, again. Auston feels like something is missing, again. At this point, the puck hits his stick and somehow, someway it’s going in the net. It’s an awesome feeling and he knows that this hot streak is nuts. Knows that the fact that he now has 10 goals means that he’s now up there with the fucking legends. But for him, the fact that none of these goals will be shared with Willy, none of these points will have his name on it, somehow that matters more than all the comparisons.

He knows that he should be thrilled, that he’s getting discussed as the best player of his generation, that’s he’s getting talked in the same vein as icons of the game but all he can think is how much better it would all be if Willy was here.

They get back to Toronto the next afternoon, Auston getting a text from TJ Oshie right as he’s getting on the plane.

“Man, why is TJ Oshie texting you?” Marns asks, peeking over as they sit down.

“I have absolutely no idea.”

He reads the text and nearly screams.

TJ Oshie: _Hi. This is Tom Wilson, I stole Oshbabe’s phone. Sorry for texting you out of the blue but I recognize the look on your face. Good luck on the whole Nylander thing. I really hope it works out for you two. If it doesn’t, which I highly doubt, and you need to get drunk and rant about the evils of management and shit, I went through a similar thing - ended badly all around - I can be there._

And that’s. Wow, that’s really nice and considering that the guy is currently serving a twenty game suspension, slightly unexpected. Fuck, how does Wilson know? What does Wilson know?

All he does though is steal Mo’s phone while he’s sleeping and copy Wilson’s number.

Me: _Thnx_

Wilson: _np_

They land back in Canada and Auston grabs his bag and ignores the rest of the team making plans to go grab dinner. It’s a bad look, he knows that, but he wants to go to his bed and get to the facilities early tomorrow so he can talk to Dubas and then go work out until he feels less like he fucked up.

He’d already emailed the GM the day before, set up a meeting. He’d been vague enough that Dubas probably thinks this is about Auston’s own contract, which considering that he’d said in to the media that he’d discuss it in the middle of the season is not unreasonable. It works in Auston’s favor, that Dubas doesn’t have time to prepare for the bomb he’s about to drop. It means it will be more convincing.

He wakes up the next morning and immediately kicks off the sheets; it’s too hot even though he’d turned the air conditioner all the way up the night before. He wanders in to his kitchen, makes the banana protein smoothie that his mom perfected early on in his hockey career. It’s got cinnamon in it and it feels like home, both things that Auston needs right now.

Auston drives himself the rink carefully, and fuck he still hates driving in the city but it’s too early and Marns would ask way too many questions if he demanded to be picked up. He listens to the playlist he’s slowly been curating over the past few weeks, songs about heartbreak sure, but mostly just songs that remind him of Willy.

He takes a deep breath, straightens his jacket, and knocks on Dubas’ door.

“Auston, come on in.” Dubas calls out. Auston walks in, sits down in one of the comfortable chairs and thinks about the fact that the last time he was in here he was being told he wouldn’t be getting a letter sewn on his jersey. He hopes this conversation has less disappointment to it.

“What’s going on? We’ve been talking to your agent to get a general idea of the salary, signing bonus and term you expect. We’re committed to having you on the team.” Dubas says, sounding confident yet slightly puzzled. And it’s that word, committed, Dubas had said the same thing about being able to re-sign all three of Willy, Mitch, and Auston and yet…..

“Like you were committed to re-signing Willy.” Auston says, the words out of his mouth before his mind can control his heart’s ability to take over the situation. He knows he sounds bitter, because well, he is.

Dubas sighs, his glasses slipping down to the bridge of his nose and Auston knows that he’s shown his hand before the cards have even been dealt.

“This is about Willy, huh? Auston, we all want him here.” Dubas says and Auston’s fists clench on the edge of the chair.

“Yes, it is.” he says, pinching his thigh to give himself courage. He’s showing the team just how valuable Willy is to him, he’s making the grand gesture even if Willy will never know, he’s about to give his GM leverage over him for the rest of his career.

He sits up straighter, looks Dubas in the eye and speaks, his voice betraying none of the nervousness that the rest of him feels.

“If Willy is not signed and back on the ice by the time we play the Jets in 8 days, I’m going to put in a trade request and I will make it as easy as possible for you to give in.”

“Auston, you can’t just,” Dubas says, leaning back in his chair, looking absolutely dumbfounded.

Auston knows that his lips are forming a slight smirk as he says quietly, “I can and I will.”

There’s a clatter as the pen in Dubas’s hand drops to the floor. He pinches the bridge of his nose and sighs loudly.

“Auston, this isn’t a negotiation between you and the team.”

Auston just looks at him, frowning.

“Even if I could get him here, there’s other people involved.”

“And….”

“And the process of lawyers checking over these documents. There’s a reason people do this over the summer.”

Auston can’t help the fact that he raises an eyebrow at that. Everyone knows that the Leafs’ only job after the July 1st John Tavares announcement was the Nylander extension.

Dubas sighs again, folding his hands on top of the desk.

“I get that you want to play with him but I can’t just give him to you.”

“Look, it’s not a matter of want, it’s a matter of _need_ . You need me to win the cup. I’m the player this city has poured their hopes and dreams into. I’m the first overall pick. I’m the savior of franchise. And what _I_ need is William Nylander playing on my wing. So, do that or I walk away and break my contract and I don’t care how much I have to pay.”

He finishes, feeling like he went through the prospect fitness test again, like his heart has just been spilled out on the desk in front of him.

Dubas looks shell-shocked. There’s a silence for some time as Auston just stares at Dubas while he looks at the many papers on his desks.

“Will you take less for this to happen?”

“How much less is less? I’m not going under 10 million a season.”

Something like a smile slides over Dubas’ face.

“That we can work with. I’m going to have to speak to William’s agent now to discuss terms and you should go focus on winning us this game.”

“Yes, sir.” Auston says, reaching over to shake his hand. Dubas squeezes pretty tightly, saying, “Mr. Matthews, I will not forget this.”

The moment Auston gets out of the room, he leans against the wall and puts his head in his hands, letting out a dry sob.

Jesus fuck, he actually just did that. He basically threatened the future of a team that he loves and a city that he hopes to be immortalized in. All because his heart and soul belong to a boy who might not even feel the same way and is currently 3,919 miles away.

They win against the Kings, Auston’s mind lingering on the story of their first cup run, the reunion of Carter and Richards and the way it all ended so badly. For Richards, not for Carter who’s got an A and a wife and is still playing. He doesn’t want this to go wrong, doesn’t want to lose the elation of winning in front of this packed crowd, but then his mind flashes to Willy’s face right after that kiss and his heart seems to be screaming that it will be worth it.

It’s another 2 point night for him, another night where he skates around the rink saluting the crowd. Tonight, though, he savors it in a way that he hasn’t been all season, savors the game and the goals and the wins. He knows that it could all be gone next week if this gamble doesn’t work out in his favor.

He’s more active at practice than he has been in ages, goofing off with the boys, challenging Ziets and Gards to a 2 on 1 drill where he’s the defenseman and they’re acting as the forwards. He wins and doesn’t even let them get a single goal. He’s animated to the media and Babs had looked proud, mostly because the money he’d won is going to charity. Auston’s heart is still pulling him in one direction, to his missing winger. He knows that Kappy got asked about his spot, about if he’s taking Willy’s role and he knew the answer that Kas was going to give as they had talked about it on the plane to DC. The answer that he’s grateful for the opportunity but ultimately wants his brother back where he belongs. He and Kas have an understanding, they both feel too connected to Willy in terms of their hockey and just general happiness, but they’re hockey players, they don’t talk about these things. Unless they have to. And that doesn’t just apply to him and Kas, it applies to him and the entire team. The boys go out to lunch and Auston joins them, devouring a burger and throwing fries at Mitch when the other boy tries to get him to share what’s bugging him. There’s some things he can’t tell them. At least not yet.

The rest of the guys are chatting about the contract, about Willy and he keeps his mouth shut, eats his burger and listens. He never really participates in these conversations anyway. That doesn’t mean that he’s not paying attention to the Willy contract stuff, everyone is but he’s trying to focus on it less. Auston has done what he can and there’s nothing more he can do but send Willy texts discussing around the things they normally talk about and the words he really wants to whisper.

The team had gotten an email from Dubas informing them that he would be in Switzerland and Auston had nearly started screaming like he did when he got word that they got JT. That loud exhalation of finally getting something. He takes a deep breath and pulls out his phone, the team group chat exploded with the email but he goes to text his sisters.

Me: _Pretty sure the crazy thing worked_

A Sis _: if you did what i think you did i will murder you if there’s not a ring on his finger by next season_

B Sis _: i will help bury the body and lie to mama_

Me _: Bren, you have legit never been able to lie to mama_

Me _: we play the Knights in Vegas on valentines is that too soon_

A Sis _: bro, i’m flying up to you next weekend and helping you shop_

B Sis _: thank fuck Lex, if he went alone, willy would end up with his weight in diamonds and sapphires_

Me _: and it’s what he would deserve_

A Sis _: i just booked my flights, you’re paying for them and we’re going to one of the bookstores_

Me _: *long sigh* fine *heart eyes emoji*_

“Did I just literally tell my sisters that I’m going to propose?” Auston thinks and then says out loud to the empty space of his condo, “Why the fuck did I just? UGH!”

The news from Dubas had inspired him to look at the schedule and the realization that they were playing the Knights in Vegas on VALENTINE’S day, well, he’s already done one gesture out of a romantic comedy, why not another?

He goes to the gym, works out until he’s dragging himself to the elevator to get back to his condo. There are now multiple things that he doesn’t want to think about and exercising until he’s dead on his feet and all his mind is thinking about is how much he wants his bed serves to temporarily shut his brain up.

He wakes up several hours later to a phone ringing. He rolls over and clicks speakerphone without looking at the caller id.

“Hey Matts. Do you think he’s going to sign?” Kappy says into the phone, voice sounding small and uncertain and _shit_ , Auston has been so focused on his own romantic feelings, on his own missed moments, that somewhere along the way he’d forgotten just how close Willy was with a lot of the guys, especially Kappy.

“Yeah bud. I have to.” He says, his mind still not fully awake as he pulls himself out of bed and wanders on the couch.

“I want him back. Like yeah, I love playing with you but we both know that we’d be happier if he was here.”

Auston almost laughs. Just how obvious has he been recently?

“Trust me, Kappy, he’s going to be here. He might not be on my wing but you’re going to get your roommate back.”

Kappy laughs at that, “god, how pissed is Babs going to be if the two of you show up to practice and score like 15 goals in ridiculous ways? He’d be an idiot not to put you back with Willy, Matts. The entire team knows that even as good as you’ve been, something’s been missing.”

And Auston, fuck, he needs to change the subject. This is getting too close to what he wants  and the possibilities that Kappy, Willy’s best friend, is putting in his head is making his heart yearn even more.

“So what do you think about Mitch’s plan for Steph?”

There’s a groan from the other end but all Kappy responds with is, “He’s definitely still taking romance lessons from Marty.”

“Which is fair.”

“True, but I mean, taking her on the ferris wheel during the Christmas market? He literally did that with you for the Leafs PR shit during your rookie year.”

“You saw that?” Auston asks, groaning into the pillow.

“Willy showed me the bits without him and then I got messages from Neils teasing me about how my best friend overshines the first overall with the girls and I knew I had to watch the entire thing.”

Auston smiles, leaning against the pillow, remembering Willy’s windswept hair and blue eyes that day. He hadn’t been in love with Willy back then, hadn’t even had the beginnings of a crush. That had started over hockey, that had started the more they kept finding each other on the ice. But even back then, he’d known with a sort of certainty he was used to having for scoring a goal, that Willy was attractive and that if he let himself, he was going to lose himself in the Swede. God knows, he was right about that.

 

………

  


Auston walks into the arena on edge. Willy’s back and hopefully they’ll find some way to share the ice. They had racked up 10 goals each in practice, which yeah, that was practice and not a game, but still.

It’s like the game’s gone from black and white to full color, playing with Willy on his wing, being able to see the small 29 that dots his gear racing up the ice to slide into the perfect place for a well-timed pass off of Auston’s stick that slips right between the pads and into the back of the net.

He knew that the moment the pass had hit Willy’s stick that his focus had turned from the ice to getting to the blond as quickly as possible so he could be the first one to yell in Willy’s face, wrap his arms around him and be as close as they can get on the ice.

Willy’s hands dig into his shoulders and Auston knows that he’s shaking a little bit.

“Fucking right!”

And just like that Mo crashes into them, gloves slapping down on both their helmets and Willy looks up from where he’s had his face buried in Auston’s neck. They’re still wrapped up around each other but they pull apart a little. There’s a grin that’s almost vicious that Auston knows he’s wearing as they go down the line for fistbumps and go to take their places on the bench.

Babs is standing right behind them and he claps a hand on Willy’s shoulder, “Good to have you back.”

Willy laughs, clearly delighted and leans into Auston’s space to whisper, “Sick fucking feed Matty.”

“Only for you baby, only for you.”

Oh shit.

Did he really just. On the bench. With their coach behind them. He grins, wiggling his eyebrows outrageously, trying desperately to pass it off as a joke. But Willy looks at him, eyes wide and lips forming a soft smile that Auston can’t help but shoot back at him. There’s no time to let the slow forming panic consume him though.

“Matthews, your line’s up next. Be ready.”

Auston shifts in his seat, pulling away from the tiny bubble he and Willy had created and he breathes out, refocusing on the game before him. There’s been no goals since theirs but that doesn’t mean that the momentum hasn’t shifted. He gets to the door, feels Willy at his back more than he sees him and grins. One 30 second shift in the second that scored a goal and the Nylander-Matthews magic is back and ready to fucking _conquer_.

It’s a faceoff in the offensive zone and Auston wins it, passing swiftly to Gards and then racing towards the area above the left dot that’s been idiotically left empty by the defenseman. Gards skates for a second, looking around the ice and doesn’t pass it to Auston who’s now been covered by one guy and shadowed by another. No, he does the smart thing and kicks it to Willy who manages to find just enough space between the defender’s skates and Auston’s stick. And Auston, Auston will always be ready for this and he blasts it into the back of the net, hitting the water bottle and sending it flying.

Patty gets to him first, curls into his side and he doesn’t have time to be confused as to way Ziets leaves his left side open because Willy is there. Tugging him into a private hug into the middle of the celly and Auston doesn’t resist it, hearing the chuckle from Patty who’s still draped on his other side. But mainly what Auston hears is Willy yelling in his ear, “Fucking right Matts, god that shot.”

When they get back to the bench, Auston knows that he looks like a victor, even though the game is only in the second period. They haven’t had a power play since the first period, Marns scoring off of a Naz’s blast from the point, and Auston can’t help but be grateful because it means there’s no excuse not to play him and Willy together. He’s still grinning, grabbing his water bottle and squirting some in face so he can focus more on the game and not on the way Willy felt in his arms.

It helps a little but it doesn’t stop the perprutal level of awareness that he has for the man sitting beside him, talking with Mitch about the defender that’s been giving them both trouble all period and how to best get out of it.

There’s 30 seconds left in the period, Auston is leaning down to take a faceoff when he sees out of the corner of his eye, Willy and the guy across from him jostling for position. It’s normal to do but something about it being Willy, about Willy getting shoved about, even slightly, makes anger unfurl in his chest and he wins the draw. It’s on Patty’s stick, then Mo’s, then Auston’s, and Auston doesn’t even have to look to know that Willy’s across the ice, stick just waiting. It’s a perfect no look one timer that finds the back of the net in the time it takes for Auston’s stick to touch the ice again.

He’s in Willy’s space for a third time in a period, and as the others crash against them, all he can hear is Willy, all he can see is the flashing blue eyes as Willy grins at him, mouthguard poking out of his mouth.

“Magic Matts!” Patty declares, as they break apart and Willy laughs, loud and joyous and Auston wants to bottle that sound so he can drink it whenever he’s feeling anything bad ever. Because he doesn’t know how to feel bad - even with his heart reaching out of his chest, with all the unspoken words, the joy he feels - when he hears that laugh. It’s his draft day, his first NHL goal, his first playoff win, all wrapped in one all-consuming feeling. And it’s all because of the blond right behind him as they head into the locker room.

“Let’s do it again next period.” Babs says, “Keep up the pressure and keep pursuing the puck. Willy, good to have you back.”

The entire team roars, Willy grinning as Kappy shoves him in the arm. Auston looks down at his skates, trying his hardest not to feel possessive. Everyone missed Willy, it wasn’t just him, even if his heart feels calmer, like just the fact that Willy’s in the same room eases something.

Patty stands up after Babs leaves, grinning, “Let’s keep it up. Also Magic Matts is Auston’s new nickname.”

Auston groans at that, Mitch laughing beside him as the team nods.

“Man, I thought you’d reached another level when the season began. You and Willy? Holy shit.” JT says, wonder in his voice that makes Auston blush even as he sits up straighter. He turns towards Willy, who is already looking at him.

“Hear that?” He asks across the room and Willy nods, a look flashing over his face that Auston can’t quite decipher before he calls back, “Guess you missed me that much huh?”

Auston laughs, grin spreading across his face because yeah, he really did.

They shoot the shit for the next couple minutes, Mo chatting with JT on Auston’s other side. He tries to get his head back in the game but everytime he glances at Willy he sees the worn Maple Leafs t-shirt showing off his summer bulk that he still hasn’t lost and Auston kinda loses track of his thoughts at the sight. Fuck, he wants.

They’re back on the ice and starting the third period, Willy and Patty flanking him. He loses the draw but the pass misfires and ends up on Willy’s stick. Auston’s already racing down the ice, flying past the forward and settling into position as Willy drops the pass back for Mo. He catches Willy’s eye and there’s a flash of smile, a tension burning under Auston’s skin that only the release of hockey can alleviate. But he doesn’t get that, not the way he was expecting because there’s a whistle being a blown and he glances to the side and sees…

Oh hell no. Willy’s on the ground, wind knocked out of him and Mo is shoving at the other guy. Auston immediately skates over, yanks ones of the guys who’s trying to get at Mo and shoves him back. He isn’t really focused on the scrum, can’t be, not when Willy’s getting up slowly. He reaches Willy, forcing his way through the scrum with the single-mindedness he usually reserves for tied games and a puck battle in the corners.

“You ok?” he asks, and Willy nods.

“Just got the wind knocked out of me. I’m fine, really Matts.”

“Tell the team when we get to the bench. I think we’re all a little protective of you right now.”

Willy grins, “What? Reminding the world that I’m yours or something?”

Auston nearly chokes, those words sounding far too much like what he’s actually feeling, because yeah, he’s using the team as an excuse but really it’s him that’s possessive and protective and absolutely gone for his winger.

“Hey. I didn’t.” Willy pauses, looking at Auston with a serious expression his face, and this isn’t the right place or time to even start thinking about this conversation.

“Later, Willy”

They both nod, heading back to the bench. Auston’s only off the ice for about 30 seconds before the first unit power play is called onto the ice.

“Score one for me.” Willy says, touching their helmets together briefly before he hops back onto the ice.

Fuck, he can’t disappoint Willy, not today.

“Get me the puck and I’ll put in their net.” He says as they huddle up before the faceoff. There’s nods and there’s very little talking after that.

“Time!”

“Skate. Skate.”

“Open.”

And the puck is on his stick, a between the legs pass from Marns and then, it’s in the goal. And the goal horn sounds and while Auston’s getting hugged by Marns and JT, his eyes find Willy, slamming his stick on the boards and he mouths at him, “For you.”

He isn’t thinking beyond the game, he can’t afford to right now. He knows that if anyone were to look hard enough, his sisters especially, they’d see the way his heart is laying on the ice, waiting for Willy to pick it up.

The game continues, the shots flying fast on both ends but the goalies are in control. They’re only up a goal, despite the outburst from him and Willy and they end up on the ice in the final 10 seconds, net empty on the other end. Auston pokes checks it away and it slides towards Willy, open on the other side. He flings it towards the goal and the horn sounds. The horn for the goal and then a second later, the game.

“Hat trick baby!!!” He yells, spinning Willy around on center ice as the rest of the team leaps over the boards. He knows that they’re wrapped around each other, Willy’s face buried in his shoulder, his hands splaying over the 29 on Willy’s back. He knows how people would take this hug if one of them was a girl. Or if they were Scott Moir and Tessa Virtue. His sisters forced him to watch them during the Olympics when all he had wanted to do was watch the American women fucking dominate in hockey. He knows that there’s a similarity in his face as he’s wrapped up in Willy to the way that Scott had looked at Tessa. Luckily, helmets and camera angles hide a lot.

The hats are raining down and the boys are crashing into them and Auston feels elated about hockey in a way he hasn’t felt since the season started. It’s just, it’s so _so_ much better playing with Willy. He knew that he had missed it, missed it something awful but even he didn’t realize just how much of the magic of this game was wrapped up in playing with number 29 as his winger.

It takes a lot of his energy to pull himself away from Willy and go congratulate Freddie on the win. But he does it. Eventually.

As they step off the ice, Auston pulls Willy aside and whispers, quiet more so that he doesn’t let everything out too soon then out of necessity, “stay after, you said that we’d talk when you get back and I don’t want to wait any longer.”

Willy nods and Auston taps his ass, muttering, “Nice game bud.”

“Thanks for the goals Matts.”

From anyone else on the team, that would be a joke, but Auston knows Willy. Knows that the serious curve to his eyebrows, the determination in his eyes, the nervousness in the way that his teeth are digging into his lower lip means that it’s the opposite of joke. If they keep standing here, right outside the tunnel to the ice, saying things that are a slim cover for the things they really want, something will break. Auston knows this and turns to continue back to the locker room.

After media, as the locker room slowly empties, Auston catches Willy’s gaze. There’s that spark again, living in his chest, whenever he comes to the realization that when he turns to look at Willy, Willy’s already looking at him.

“So…” Willy’s voice trails off. They’re both back in their suits, winter coats thrown carelessly on the stalls and Auston keeps his eyes on Willy’s face, trying to keep from them from wandering to the way that Willy’s pants stretch obscenely over his thighs. He’d chanced a glance as Willy was walking into the shower and the hot flame of want had nearly overcome his reason.

“We kissed.” Auston says, trying to give Willy an out. Trying to give himself an out, to make this hurt less.

Willy nods, teeth worrying his lower lip once again and he stands up from his stall across the room and goes to sit right next to Auston.

“We did and then we lost.”

“I know the facts.”

“Matts.”

Auston turns to look at Willy at that, the pleading in his voice makes him stop from responding.

“Look, I didn’t want to talk about it when we weren’t in the same space because once we did, I would have flown anywhere to get to you and as much as you’re worth the consequences of me having done that...” Willy shrugs, pain clear in his eyes. Auston reaches out and takes Willy’s hands, squeezing briefly.

“And then you left that voicemail. Fucking hell Aus,” Willy shuts his eyes for a few seconds, feet twisting around on the floor, “I literally was in the kitchen looking up flights back to Toronto when my dad walked in and stopped me. You do know right? You’ve got to.”

Auston knows that he must have missed something quite important when he had deleted the voicemail. But all he does is shake his head and there’s a low gasp coming from Willy.

His voice sounds small as he whispers out, “Willy, I need to hear you say it.”

He hears rustling and then feels fingers on his chin. Willy had moved to be kneeling in front of him and Auston’s heart feels like it’s about to explode.

Willy leans in a little and Auston finishes it, like they are on the ice, an assist to the goal. And it’s like every firework that lights up the sky on the Fourth is exploding in Auston’s chest as their lips finally touch. It’s more than that night in April, Willy’s hands reaching up to tangle in Auston’s hair, Auston nibbling on Willy’s lip, Auston pulling him even closer. He doesn’t even realize that his eyes had fallen shut until Willy pulls away, only so he can press their foreheads together and whisper out, “hi.”

“Hey, I love you.” Auston whispers and he’s so glad his eyes are open because the smile that spreads across Willy’s face. It’s better than _anything_ Auston could have ever imagined.

“Aus, I’m in love with you.” Willy declares, hand still tangled in Auston’s hair and fuck, they’re so close. Unable to stop himself, Auston kisses Willy again. Willy melts into him and Auston tugs him even closer, pushing against the back of the stall, he can feel the grin on Willy’s lip and it makes them break apart with a whimper.

Fuck, Auston wants to hear all the sounds he can draw out of his winger. They really need leave before Auston’s dick becomes a problem for him to drive.

“Do you have to be back at Kappy’s tonight?” he asks, once they pulled themselves out of Auston’s stall and are throwing on their winter jackets. Willy shakes his head, checks flushing a little as he glances over at Auston.

“But we should probably have at least one drink with the guys. Celebrate the win.”

Auston frowns but he knows that his… winger is right.

“Will, are we dating?”

Willy looks delighted, leaning over and pulling Auston close by his belt loops, “Yeah, Aus. you’re mine. You down?”

Auston nods, pressing a quick kiss to Willy’s lips, reaching down and grabbing his hand. They get to hold hands now and it means something. They’re boyfriends.

They grab their phones and find out which bar the team went to it. It’s one of their normal ones, the one they went to after the game six win actually, and Willy grins at Auston.

“Marns drove you, yeah?”

“Yep.”

He slides in the passenger seat of Willy’s car and it revs up, it’s loud, one of those flashy sports cars. They drive to the bar and sit down with the guys, Willy pulled away from Auston by Marns and Kappy who demand to know what the hell the meeting with Dubas was like. Willy exchanges a glance with Auston over their heads and Auston smirks, pulling on his beer and making a show of swallowing. He sees the way Willy bites down harshly at his lower lip and grins before turning back to Hyms and Brownie.

It’s a couple of minutes, the boys all going over to Willy and congratulating him and Auston watches, pride blooming in his chest. His boyfriend is so fucking good and everyone should know that. That’s he’s fire on the ice that is, not that they’re boyfriends. Something they had talked about in the car was that they had spent so much time apart and they wanted this season to just be theirs. They can tell the team when they’ve won round one of the playoffs. That was the plan, anyway.

Willy gets up and comes to Auston, sits next to him and buries his face in his neck.

“You alright Willy?” Auston asks and feels the nip to his neck that Willy gives him in response.

He pulls away, Willy’s eyes clear and sober despite the beer that he’d had with Mo, and Auston nearly makes his palms bleed at the way he digs his nails in to prevent himself from just kissing him when Willy just says, “Take me home Matty.”

Auston nods shortly, tossing a 20 on the table and standing up. There’s shouts from the guys but both Auston and Willy ignore them, they’ll get flack for darting out early but Auston just doesn’t care.

“Your place right?” Willy confirms, accepting the keys from the valet and opening Auston’s door for him.

“Are you wooing me? Now? Seriously Will I’m already yours.”

“My parents raised me right.” Willy cracks back, shifting the car onto the highway. It’s quiet but loaded, both of them looking at each other and then looking away, beaming.

 

 

 

\---------------------------

Epilogue

 

 

They get off the bus at the hotel, and everyone’s giddy about the five game win streak. Although, the fact that they have three days in Vegas including Valentine’s Day helps too. Auston has his arm around Willy’s shoulders while they get their key cards from Babs and he knows that Kappy is laughing at them from where he’s leaning against Naz, pretending to still be asleep. To be honest, Auston has absolutely no clue how they’re only two team members to know about him and Willy being boyfriends, and fuck even thinking makes him want press a kiss to Willy’s lips - they’re fucking _boyfriends_. Like they came into practice after the first game Willy played in again fucking covered in hickies and bruises and Auston had had a bruise the shape of Willy’s fingers on his hip bone for days afterwards. Neither of them have ever really hidden the marks either, Auston has the very very distinct memory of Willy pulling him into a storage closet after a post practice media scrum with the intention of making the already livid mark on his collarbone worse. No one asked about it but both of them knew that they were basically daring the media, the PR team, or just the team to ask.

The team starts to head to the elevators and Auston squeezes Willy’s shoulder a little bit.

“What’s up babe?”

Auston knows what’s resting in the second pocket of his backpack, the ring, and apparently the nerves show on his face because Willy reaches out and intertwines their hands together, rubbing his finger over Auston’s thumb in an attempt to soothe him.

“When we get up to the room; I don’t want to do this here.”

Willy nods, not taking his hand away. They get to the elevators after everyone else has already gone up which means pressing their floor, 9, and exchanging soft kisses with a promise of more. They pause when the door opens and head to their separate rooms. Luckily the fact that they’re hockey players and playing for the Leafs means that they get kings at every hotel which works for cuddling and blowjobs.

Auston shuts the door, knowing that Willy will want to shower after such a long flight and he can text or knock when he’s ready to come over. He’s got some time, not much, but enough.

Pulling open his backpack, he takes out the ring and grins as he imagines how it will look on Willy. It was expensive, he used his leftover sophomore year bonus on it, but the gold band with little interwoven sapphires and diamonds on it was so worth it. It’s not necessarily as flashy as he’d wanted it to be but it’s going to look perfect on Willy - which ultimately is what matters. He got it customized with 2 dates. The day they first connected on a goal and the day they got together officially. Both of their starts. He wipes his palms on his sweats and goes to wash his face. Willy had mentioned something about going out to a steak place tonight and that means slacks and a jacket, maybe a tie depending on how much he wants Willy to drag him off to a coat closet. Willy likes him in ties.

He’s just thrown on a shirt, it’s still unbuttoned, when he hears a knock on the door. He reaches over to the nightstand and slips the box into his pocket.

“Yeah?” he calls out.

“It’s me.” Willy responds and Auston runs his fingers through his hair. He opens the door and sees his boyfriend, in a black suit and a light blue shirt, standing there with a half smile on his face. It turns into smirk as his eyes track Auston up and down. He wipes his still damp hair off of his forehead and struts into the room, leaving Auston to groan at the way the pants serve to show off Willy’s thighs and butt.

“Are you trying to kill me, baby?” he asks, letting the door swing shut right as Willy shrugs.

Shooting Auston a dazzling grin, he sits on the bed and replies, “Why? Is it working?”

Auston shamelessly palms at his dick in answer, and Willy lets out a whimper as he reaches out to pull Auston closer. Auston notices their position, that he’s looming over Willy and that this angle as hot as it is, will not be comfortable for long. He bends down in front of his boyfriend and kisses him, one hand tugging off the jacket while the other reaches into his back pocket. God, this wasn’t what he necessarily expected how he’d propose but he has the ring, he’s on his knees and his boyfriend is looking at him like Auston is the cup and a gold medal wrapped in one person. It’s really hard to resist that, especially when it’s combined with the slightly unbuttoned shirt, shiny well-kissed lips and messy hair. It’s Auston’s absolute favorite look.

He takes a deep breath, leaning back slightly as Willy tries to pull him back in.

“Hey baby.”

“Aus, seriously.”

He wipes the hand that was holding the box, now on the floor beside him, on his pants and looks up at his boyfriend.

“Willy, you’re it for me,” he starts and Willy grins, rolling his eyes briefly, but continues looking at Auston with love shining in his eyes.

“I’m pretty sure that I can’t imagine my life without you. As much as I love rom-coms, we both know that I’m much better with actions than words. Like, baby, I literally threatened a trade because of how much I need you. But you deserve to hear this.” Auston pauses, reaching beside him and grabbing the ring box. He hears more than sees Willy gasp at him. He knows that Willy wants to say his answer before he even asks, so he reaches up the hand not holding the box and presses a finger to Willy’s lips.

There’s stillness for a moment, even though the answer’s known, as though the world is watching them complete the final few steps. Auston lets it hang there for a bit, before opening the box.

“I love you. You’re my partner both on the ice and off of it and I want it to stay that way forever so William Andrew Michael Nylander, will you marry me?”

Sometime between taking his finger off of Willy’s lip and asking the question, Willy had started nodding.

“Yes, of course.”

And then Auston slips the ring on Willy’s finger and doesn’t even get the chance to really admire the way it looks before Willy is kissing him. He’ll never get tired of this feeling.

It’s overwhelming, when Willy pulls away to whisper, “hey Matts, you’re going to be my husband.”

Wow, this is really happening. They’re still grinning like they’ve won the Stanley Cup or something and Auston just wants to kiss his fiance some more but Willy pauses before he can drop a kiss to his lips.

“Fuck it. You know what we should do?”

“What?”

“Babe, we’re in Vegas and tomorrow’s Valentine’s day. Let’s just get married tonight.”

Auston, fuck, he can’t say no to Willy. Especially not now.

“I’m so down. But how?”

Willy grins, “We ask the smartest person we know.”

“I’ll text Hyms right now. Also my sisters? Maybe.”

“Babe, if we’re telling Zach, we have to tell Kas.”

“Liney solidarity, you’re right.”

Auston pulls out his phone to text his sisters, letting Willy text the guys.

Me: _HE SAID YES!!!! Also how do I plan in wedding in like 6 hours_

B Sis: _1 sec_

B Sis: _Check your email_

Auston raises his eyebrow, maneuvering to his email to see a forwarded confirmation from Bren. He scrolls down and gasps, sitting up in shock as he reads what exactly his sisters had bought. He checks the date and yeah, they bought it the day he and Alex had officially picked out the ring that Willy’s wearing.

Me: _you two are dead_

Me: _I love you both_

B Sis: _*smiley face emoji x5*_

A Sis: _you owe us like cars bro_

Me: _fine_

Willy gets up and opens the door, letting Zach and Kappy in.

“What’s this about needing my help ASAP? Please tell me it’s not because you guys broke another bed and need me to help you come up with a plausible explanation that’s not “I tied Auston to the bed and fucked him really hard because he got a hat-trick.” Please.” Zach says, looking around the room before sitting on the bed and bouncing a couple times. “Ok, the bed isn’t broken.”

Kas is leaning against the wall, doubled over he’s laughing so much. Auston scowls but then Willy leans into him, pointedly digging the ring into Auston’s side and he can’t stay mad for long when he gets that reminder.

“We do really need your help.” Auston says. Willy presses a kiss into his hair before looking at Zach and Kappy.

“We also need two witnesses.”

They wait a second, wrapped up in each other, before Zach’s eyes widen and he leaps up from the bed, “You guys are engaged! When???”

Auston glances at Willy, who grins, “About 20 minutes ago.”

“Congratulations!”

“Congrats guys!”

“My sisters bought us a ceremony already but we need to go to the courthouse I think.”

“Alex and Bren got us what???” Willy demands, turning to face Auston. He ends up leaning awkwardly on Auston’s thighs, looking into Auston’s eyes and Auston grins, handing Willy his phone.

Willy’s eyebrows continue to rise as he reads through the information.

“It looks like my sisters played a role in this too. They know that I’ve always wanted to do something romantic in a helicopter. ”

Zach and Kappy both look seconds away from falling to the ground in laughter.

“Your sisters better get the best presents for the rest of their lives,” Kappy says, wiping his eyes as Zach nods furiously in agreement.

“We will.” Auston says, rubbing his nose into Willy’s hair, laughing at the expressions on Zach and Kappy’s faces at their PDA as Willy leans even more into him.

Zach straightens up, “Ok, so we have to go to a courthouse and fill out the forms.”

He checks his phone, “we have about 2 hours until video review for tomorrow, we should probably go now.”

Willy looks up at Auston and right after Auston nods, he presses a kiss to Willy’s lips, slow and gentle.

They get in a cab, walk into the courthouse and Auston never once lets go of Willy’s hand.

“We’re going to be husbands.” Willy whispers, pressing a kiss to Auston’s cheek when all he can do is beam in response.

“Are you guys hyphenating?” Kappy asks and suddenly it’s like everything stops. How much of this did they not think about? Wow.

But then Auston thinks about tracing a Matthews on Willy’s back, about having Nylander on his own when he’s racing towards the goal. He thinks about how his nicknames are so caught up in his last name, about how the Matthews makes him who is. He thinks about the way Auston Nylander sounds, about how William Matthews sounds and his breath catches.

He glances over to his fiance, and sees a look of awe in his eyes.

“Let’s just say it at the same time?” Willy proposes, the crooked grin on his face that Auston loves.

Auston nods, holding up his fingers and just as his hand closes into a fist, he speaks, “I want to just trade.”

“I want you to have my name and me to have yours” Willy says, finishing seconds after Auston closes his mouth.

Fuck, Auston loves him, he really really does.

“This all jumpstarted because I went to Kyle and demanded a trade because I wanted you back so trading last names works.”

Willy just kisses him instead of saying anything in response. Zach and Kappy both exchange a look.

“Let’s just get you two married, alright.” Zach says, pushing them to the woman at the desk.

“Hi, we’d like to get married.” Willy says.

The woman smiles at them, “Young love?” she says and Auston almost laughs because he doesn’t feel young, he feels like he’s been waiting his entire life for Willy, for this day.

But instead he just nods, handing the woman his passport and $77 in cash. They had to borrow $2 from Zach, neither of them had singles, and they know that Hyms will hold this over their heads for the rest of their lives.

Willy presses a kiss to Auston’s shoulder after handing the woman his passport. Luckily they had traveled today and there was no frantic upending of suitcases to find the passports the way there always is when the team is returning to Toronto after a road trip.

“Everything looks to be in order.” she says, after about 15 minutes of waiting, Auston shifting enough that he almost steps on Willy’s foot.

“Congratulations Mr. Matthews, Mr. Nylander. I think you two will be very happy.”

They collect the marriage certificate and have to haul ass back to the hotel before they’re late. They get there with fifteen minutes to spare and Auston scans the helicopter ceremony package.

“We have to meet the limo outside at 8:30. We’ll be back by midnight. Let’s just tell the boys we’re having a late dinner.”

They all nod, heading upstairs to go to video review. Auston knows that he and Willy will look nicer than the others but he really could care less. He sees that the front desk is available and walks over, smiling to himself.

“Hello, can I help you?” the man asks and Auston glances at his nametag.

“Yes Samuel, I was wondering if I could get an upgrade. You see my fiance and I are getting married at the last minute and I was hoping we could stay in the honeymoon suite for the rest of our stay.”

“Of course, sir. What’s the reservation booked under?”

Shit, shit. Shit. Double fuck. Triple shit. Fuck. This is why Zach is the one who talks to adults. Oh, god.

“I’m with a group.”

Samuel looks up from his computer to give Auston a piercing stare, realization hitting him before he nods once.

“Alright, what’s your room number, Mr. Matthews?”

“Room 924.” Auston can’t help grin every time he remembers his assigned room, it has a piece of both their numbers in it.

Samuel nods, glancing at his computer before saying, “I see that you are staying with us for 2 nights. Would you like the suite for both nights?”

Auston nods, remembering that his lawyer and his agent and his gm and his MOM will murder him if this somehow reaches the media, before he asks, “I can count on the hotel’s discretion right?”

“Of course, Mr. Matthews. I’ve booked an open room under your name and upgraded that one so no one from the original booking will ever know. I just need your credit card details.”

“Thank you Samuel. I really appreciate it.”

“Here’s the key to the honeymoon suite, Mr. Matthews. I hope you and yours live a very happy life together.”

Auston grins, collecting the key and slipping it into the pocket in his suit. He heads up to the video room, trying his hardest to pay attention to areas where Vegas is weak, the blocker area that Fleury leaves open, but it’s really hard. Because every time he glances at Willy, he thinks about what they are going to be doing in a few hours. Thinks about getting married.

Oh fuck. He needs to write his vows and there goes any chance of him paying attention.

He catches Willy’s eye as the review finishes up and Willy grins at him. God, Auston wants to cross the room and pull him close and kiss him. He wants to get fined for it. He wants to have to start carrying a lot of cash in his wallet because of how much he get fined. He wants Naz to have to create new ranking of fines.

Willy had moved his stuff to Auston’s old room and Auston calls the front desk while Willy is in the bathroom, trimming his beard. Luckily the water and the fact that Willy has his music on means that he can’t hear that Auston is having their stuff moved to the honeymoon suite at 8:45. He hangs up just as the song ends and he rubs at his chin, thinking about tomorrow. Thinking about waking up tangled in bed with his husband. He can’t help the smile that spreads across his face.

“Will, you want me fresh faced?”

“Yeah. Babe I love you but you can’t grow facial hair.”

“You call that hair on your chin facial hair?” Auston taunts back, slipping into the bathroom and picking up his razor. Willy bites his shoulder in response, reaching over to grab the towels, wiping his face with one and leaving the other on the counter for Auston is use when he’s done. Auston presses a kiss to Willy’s cheek, leaving a smear of shaving cream on his face that makes them both laugh as there’s a knock on the door.

“I’ll get it.” Willy says, slapping Auston’s ass with the towel, “you finish up. We have a wedding to get to.”

“Our wedding.” Auston replies and they grin at each other for a moment before the knocking starts up louder.

“Hey Zach.”

“Willy, you’re coming with me. Auston can’t see what you’re wearing yet.”

Auston laughs as he glances at his phone to see a text from Alex.

A Sis: _YOU CAN’T SEE HIM UNTIL THE LIMO BRO. LET IT HAPPEN._

Me: _you planned this why am i not surprised?_

“Baby, he’s conspiring with our sisters. Just let it happen.”

Willy glances at him, nodding before he walks over to grab his suitcase. He presses his forehead against Auston before he walks out the door and to Zach’s room.

Kappy knocks on the door nearly an hour later. He sits on the bed while Auston gets ready.

“Lazy.” Auston comments as he finishes buttoning up his vest.  

Kappy laughs, looking up from his phone as he asks, “do you have your vows?”

Auston hands him a piece of paper that has his vows written on it. Kas reads them and grins, “I’m so fucking glad that you two finally got together. Also, Matts, you better believe I am teasing you for the rest of our careers.”

Auston grins, sliding on his jacket, tucking the vows and the key card in the pocket as he responds, “yeah, I know.”

They head downstairs, Auston’s way more excited than he is nervous but standing in the middle of the lobby in a tux about to get married he can’t help the way his heart seems to pound like it’s trying to escape his chest.

“Come on, there’s the limo.” Kas says, trying to nudge Auston towards the door.

“But I want to see Willy.”

“Bro, I get it, but if you see him you will kiss him and there are non-team people here who know exactly who we are.”

“When’d you get smart?”

“When I started playing with you.”

Auston laughs, slinging an arm around Kappy’s shoulders and walking towards the limo. They slide in and see Zach and Willy sitting there, Willy’s eyes widening when he catches sight of Auston.

“Fuck Matty you look....”

Auston knows that his eyes are lingering on Willy’s tie. God, his future husband is a knockout. Zach moves to sit next to Kappy and Auston slides to sit next to Willy.

“Me?” Auston demands, brushing a strand of hair out of Willy’s eyes, “Willy, if I wasn’t going to marry you within the next hour I’d propose again right fucking now. You look so … incredible.”

“Aus, you’re wearing a fucking vest. I’m 90% sure that jacket has coattails. I’m the one marrying an actual romance hero here.”

Auston laughs at that, shaking his head at Willy but Willy stops any chance of a reply because he leans in and kisses him. The car starts moving and he hears a click as a photo is getting taken. He lifts his head away from Willy to turn to Zach who has his phone out in front of his face.

“Really man?” Willy asks and Zach shrugs.

“The team and your mothers are going to demand photos, I’m only thinking ahead. Also we’re moving back to the original seats.”

“Yeah, we agreed since you guys weren’t doing the whole keeping apart for 24 hours before the wedding thing, we’re at least keeping you from kissing until your first official kiss as husbands.”

“Which set of siblings put you up to this?” Auston asks, his hand lingering on Willy’s thigh as Kappy shoves him over towards Zach.

“Jacq and Michelle.” Kappy answers and Willy laughs, shaking as he buries his face into Kappy’s shoulder.

“Of course, they couldn’t let Bren and Alex have all the fun.” he says, as he composes himself.

They end up talking about what the rest of the team is up to during the drive to the helicopter, Zach sometimes getting photos of the scene, the Vegas skyline a backdrop for the fondness that Auston knows is showing on his face for Willy. They get out of the limo, the wind rushing and sweeping Willy’s hair over his face.

“Mr. Matthews, Mr. Nylander?” A blonde asks. They nod.

“I’m Shannon, your pilot for the evening and these,” she gestures to the women standing a little bit behind here, “are Phoebe, she’s the minster and Grace, she’s the photographer. ”

“Good to meet you.” Auston says, shaking the women’s hands, noticing how firm their grips are, “This is Zach and Kaspari, they’re our witnesses.”

“Are you gentleman ready?” Phoebe asks, stepping up to the ladder.

“I’ve been ready since the moment I met him.” Willy answers and Auston blushes, bright enough that Shannon notices and laughs.

Once they’re in the air, Shannon flies them to a bit of open air where the stars envelope them and the city gleams below them, Phoebe grabs hold of the mic.

“This is your minster speaking. We are cruising at about 500 feet above the ground and we’re about to have a wedding. William, Auston, if you would join hands?”

Auston glances over at Willy, who’s already reaching across the seat to grab Auston’s hand.

“I spoke to your sisters this afternoon to hear more about how the two of you met and fell in love and it became clear very quickly that what is happening tonight is merely making what has been going on for a long time official in the eyes of the universe. Marriage is thought to be a union between two souls and when I watched a highlight pack of you two while waiting, I could clearly see that the union between your souls has been happening for a while. Marriage is not simply an expression of love, it is a declaration to the world that you have found the one that you want to be with for the rest of your lives and that no one can take that away from you.”

Auston grins at Willy, knowing from the way that Willy is rubbing his hand with his thumb that they’re both thinking the same thing.

“The love that you two share is worth fighting for. It is one that bloomed out of friendship and trust and the good things that the fairytales are built on. I look at you two and I know that I am witnessing the start of something that always would have been legendary but now, because of your love and commitment to each other, is truly magical.”

Fuck, Auston’s eyes are watering already and they haven’t even said the vows yet.

“Hey Matty.” Willy starts and Auston feels his chest go tight at the fondness Willy places in his name, “You know that you’re fierce on the ice, insanely competitive and super skilled. It’s why you went first overall and scored four goals your first NHL game.”

Zach laughs in the background and he hears a groan coming from Kappy’s phone, a familiar groan but he’ll have to ask later because all he can do right now is mouth, “really?” at Willy.

Willy smirks at him, eyes going soft as he continues, “But it’s who you are off the ice that’s the reason I fell in love with you. Because, Auston, you are generous and kind and funny and you always know when anyone on the team needs something. So this ring that I’m wearing, the one I’ll be giving you when we get back home, and these words are only to someday show the rest of the world the love that’s been in my heart since the first time you wrapped me in your arms after a goal. And I am better and braver because you love me.”

Willy’s voice catches, he takes a deep breath before looking at Auston, gazing at him with such love and devotion that Auston just wants to stay in this moment. Fuck hockey, the only thing he’ll ever truly need is right in front of him.

“We are so fucking good together Aus. Sometimes I look at you when you’re still asleep, curled around me like I’m something sacred and I feel the pieces of my heart knit themselves back together just because you exist. I get to love you for the rest of my life and that’s, that’s just the absolute best thing.”

Auston is crying, Zack is crying, their sisters are crying on Kappy’s phone. He straightens his vest, wipes the tears away. How the fuck does he follow that?

“I’m going to make you cry now baby.” Auston says, grinning at Willy who laughs. The same laugh that Auston wants to bottle up and savor for the days when the darkness closes in. The laugh that he fell in love with. That laugh is his favorite and hearing it, he knows that the rest of this will be easy.

“Willy, you walked into my life, this Swedish hurricane who quickly became the most important piece of my life. Even when I was lost and angry, you were always there, you were always finding me. Because that’s what we do, we find each other on the ice and off of it.”

Auston pauses, taking in the way Willy looks, happy and soft and smiling.

“Sometimes I look at you, like right now, and I can’t help but think that you’re better than hockey. Even though we’ll get our names inscribed on the Cup one day, I know that loving you is the greatest legacy I’ll have.”

All Auston wants to do right now is reach across the seat and kiss his husband but he has to to wait for Phoebe to have them officially say the words. They stare at each other for a long moment, Willy’s feet figiditing and Auston knows that this is what he’ll remember.

“Do you William Andrew Michael Junior Nylander Altelius take Auston as your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold, for better or worse, in win streaks and playoff defeats, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?”

“I do.” Willy responds, gazing at Auston, hands shaking as he holds Auston, and Auston starts crying again. They’re married. Well almost.

“Do you,” Phoebe turns to him, “Auston Matthews, take William as your lawfully wedded husband? To have and hold, for better or worse, in win streaks and playoff defeats, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?”

“Fuck yes.” Auston says, the words slipping from his mouth before he can realize what he just said, “I mean, yes, I do.”

“I now pronounce you husbands, you may kiss each other.”

Auston pulls Willy in by his tie, kissing him softly before Willy’s hands find his hair and his teeth press down on Auston’s lip, seeking something that Auston will always be glad to give him.

“Hey, Nylander.” Willy murmurs and Auston groans.

“Dirty pool, Matthews, dirty pool.”

“Congratulations bro.” Zach says and it’s like the fact that there are other people in the helicopter is suddenly put back into focus. It had all gone hazy during the vows and the kiss and the last names.

He hears a few voices he recognizes very well and glances over to see Willy holding Kappy’s phone. He leans over, his head resting on his husband’s shoulder, and sees his sisters’ faces filling up the screen.

“Kas facetimed you guys?” he asks, fuck he’s going to be getting his liney such a good birthday present.

Alex grins up at him, though Bren is the one who speaks, “Just giving our brother-in-law a warning bro, nothing to worry about,” she grins as both of them as she turns to look at Willy adding, “also I filmed this and I’m sending it to your sisters.”

“Thank you.” Willy says and Auston presses a kiss into his hair. He loves his husband, he loves his sisters, he loves his team. His heart feels so full that it might burst from his chest. Willy cuddles into him and he wraps an arm loosely around Willy’s hip.

They get back to the hotel and let Kas and Zach off on their floor, Willy looking at Auston in confusion as he hits the button for floor 24.

“Mr. Nylander, did you get us the honeymoon suite?” Willy asks, crowding Auston against the mirror back side.

Auston grins, “Why yes, I did Mr. Matthews.”

Willy just kisses him, his hands working to unbutton the vest and Auston’s hands gripping his ass as the door slides open.

“Let’s go.” Auston whispers, entangling his hand with Willy’s and running towards the suite. It’s giddy, this feeling, being here, running through the halls. It’s the best parts of winning and Christmas and seeing his family after months away wrapped in one glorious night. He has a husband. _Willy_ is his husband. Willy grins, pushing him into the wall and kissing him. Auston’s hands are unbuttoning Willy’s shirt and he’s consumed by his husband. He can’t stop grinning and that forces Willy to pull away from him. Both of them just lean into each other, foreheads pressed together. Auston picks up Willy’s hand again, leading them to their room. He opens the door, flips the light switch and stares for a moment. There’s champagne resting in a bucket by the bed, a box of chocolates on the bed and the blinds are open to reveal the spectacular view of the Vegas skyline.

“Wow.” Willy says and Auston nods, moving the chocolates to the nightstand, and pulling Willy down to the bed.

“I love you.” Auston says, hands trembling as he runs them down Willy’s chest.

Willy smirks, it softens after a second, “I love you too Aus. We may not be able to fuck tonight but I just want to kiss you.”

“Stupid hockey.” Auston groans, shamelessly palming Willy’s ass as Willy pulls off the vest and shirt in one smooth motion. Willy grins, slipping his tie over his head and pulling Auston back in for a long kiss, full of teeth and tongue and roaming hands and the promise of more of this for the rest of their lives.

They’re both naked on top of the covers before another word can be exchanged and Auston keeps catching sight of the gold glinting on Willy’s finger and remembering that there’s no more talk of trades, of contracts, of hockey. They belong to each other. Right now, there’s only William Matthews and Auston Nylander and trading kisses under the light of the star covered night.

  


**Author's Note:**

> it is vitally important that you guys know that Auston and Willy had married blowjobs because they are in love but also care about their team. 
> 
> I really hope that you liked it. 
> 
> untagged characters: Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn, Jack Eichel, Noah Hanifan, Jeff Carter, TJ Oshie, Tom Wilson  
> contains references to: Jamie/Tyler, Jack/Noah, past Tom/Mike, past Jeff/Mike, unrequited Matthew Tkachuk  
> also this is the wedding package that the Nylander and Matthews sisters get their idiot brothers: https://www.702wedding.com/las-vegas-wedding-strip
> 
>    
> find me on twitter @arrowsanddemons  
>  
> 
> At some point in the near future there will be a coda where people find out about the wedding. 
> 
> The one clear scene is that after the team realizes that Matts and Willy have been missing they tell Babs and he calls Kyle and Kyle's response to finding out is "I told you that you can't let them go out on their own."  
> also Patty is the most disappointed in the fact that they felt that they could trust him and the team insists that they get married again.  
> Alex Nylander is pissed that he's literally the last of the family members to find out


End file.
